Distant Promise
by applepielover
Summary: AU. SyaoSaku. Within her memories, a distant promise echoed...Some say she sleeps in a castle as enchanting as she; some say a nefarious sorcerer had imprisoned her in a cave by the sea. ON HIATUS.


**Disclaimer: **I regret to inform you that I don't - in any way, shape or form - own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. It belongs to the ladies of CLAMP. I'm just a starving fan.

--*--

Sakura waited by the lake, a crown of Cherry Blossoms withering atop her trampled hair. The birds announced the departure of spring from the trees, yet she sighed heavily, a melancholy expression upon her soiled face.

Within her memories, a distant promise echoed...

--*--

_They embraced each other, tears emerging from her eyes. A bitter wind vigorously blew as though threatening to pull them apart. Sakura drew back, facing him as she hugged her shawl tightly._

_"I'll be waiting," she said._

_"And I'll be here, when the second spring comes," he assured her._

_And so he journeyed through the ominous forest with the assistance of a zealous warrior and a laid back mage, in the search for an enchanted princess._

_The winter winds were then replaced by the Spring breeze, along with the rain to nourish the plants of the garden in the backyard, where Daylilies, Marigolds, and even Rosemary budded from the fertile soil. Near the little cottage stood a cherry blossom tree, which was a strange sight since it was the only tree of its kind in the country. On a cloudless day Sakura wove a crown from the blossoms and placed it on her hair, twirling and giggling like a mischievious child as her bare feet danced on the grass. She suddenly pondered about the princess, and of the tales she heard from the townspeople during her trips to the marketplace for bread and meats. Some say she sleeps in a castle as enchanting as she; some say a nefarious sorcerer had imprisoned her in a cave by the sea._

_In front of the fireplace, she smiled, rocking back and forth on his chair. Her jade eyes stared at the books lining the shelves, reminding her of the boy who was determined to serve his country and his Queen. She imagined the blade of his sword smeared with the blood of savage beasts who stand in the way of his quest. She imagined the valiance of the warrior slaying with him, a daring smirk upon his face. She imagined the cunning smile of the mage as he dodged them with his wit._

_The sun rose and set, the moon waned, and the rest of nature kept on its course as she continued to live alone in the cottage. She would read his books by candlelight, fascinated with the descriptions of exotic spices, captivating jewels hidden in mountains, and mysterious ruins; but what mesmerized her were of the oceans. Her fingers traced an illustration of a beach, the waves of the ocean reaching the shore, and seagulls soaring in the sky. Suddenly she could feel the vast ocean embracing her, faintly hearing the cries of the gulls beckoning her to swim up towards the surface. Closing the book, she chose another from the shelves and browse through its pages written by foreign hands._

_While sleeping on his bed, she would dream of his arrival and the Queen rejoicing at her daughter's safe return. She would also dream of gliding, bubbling laughter, sunken ships, and tailfins adorned with seashells the color of the sand._

_The birds announced the arrival of spring from the trees, and Sakura waited by the lake; yet she saw no sign of him from the ominous forest. At the backyard, she watched the blossoms as they fall gracefully from the branches of the tree, wearing a fresh crown on her head. She wondered why the townspeople would label it as ominous, for there was nothing malicious lurking among the shadows of the trees from where she stood, except for the ravenous beasts that abided in the distance; their knifelike claws and teeth prepared to slash and devour an intruder._

_And she waited patiently by the lake, a crown of cherry blossoms adorned atop her hair. The sun rose and set, the moon waned, and the rest of nature kept on its course as she anticipated his return. The rain fell, drenching her dress and damping her hair. Some of the blossoms in her crown precipitated towards the muddy ground. When darkness took over the day, she would sleep, her cheeks stained with mud in the morning. She drank the water from the lake and even attempted to hunt for fish, but found that she couldn't handle holding on to the squirming trout, for they would slipped from her hands. So she ate the grass and weeds, refusing to go inside the cottage in fear that he would arrive and not to see her presence on the other side._

_She waited and yet no sign of him, the zealous warrior, or the laid back mage..._

--*--

The sound of boots flattening the grass caused her to glance up. Three figures appeared from the shadows of the forest on the other side, their clothes tattered and their hair dried with blood. Shakily, she rose and started to wade through the water. Once she made it to the other side, her legs gave way and she stumbled to the ground in front of them.

"Princess!" Syaoran cried as he kneeled, his hands gently taking one of her hands.

Sakura gazed up at him weakly. "...princess?"

Her consciousness drifted like waves returning to the ocean, and a memory of a grand kingdom under its depths flashed like the illustration in the book...

--*--

**A/N: **This was something that came up while working on Ziara (which, unfortunately, isn't going the way I want it to go. I will be posting one more chapter before I officially discontinue it. I apologize.) Constructive criticism is appreciated.


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